The Confession of Yuki Nagato
by Erich Zann III
Summary: What if Kyon decided he DID want to stay in that alternate world? As he adapts to his "normal" life, he strikes up a relationship with the shy little bookworm, of course.  KyonxYuki
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

I suppose I should start from the beginning. I've been in this alternate reality for 4 months, now. It's April, and the cherry blossoms are blooming. My name is Kyon, and 4 months ago, I was drawn into this reality by an unknown person (was it Haruhi?), and have been living a normal life ever since. And hey, it's not so bad. I've got friends here, now. The same friends that I had back in my home reality. Haruhi Suzumiya, the intelligent, but extremely eccentric high school girl (formerly "God"), Itsuki Koizumi, the constantly smiling, somewhat smug high school boy (former esper), Mikuru Asahina, an extraordinarily beautiful Lolita faced girl (formerly a time traveler), and Yuki Nagato, a timid bookworm who I sometimes catch staring at me before she looks away and blushes (formerly an alien), and of course, me, Kyon, the only "normal" one of the group, though how normal I can possibly be if I was chosen for "Suzumiya's Band of Merry Men" as Taniguchi calls us, I'm not really sure.

Although Haruhi and Koizumi both go to Kouyouen High, the prep school down the hill from us, it's not so hard getting together, and Haruhi, although she never took me seriously in my former reality, after finding out that I'm "John Smith" as I called myself that time, she hangs on every word I say. It's kind of funny. She loves listening to me talk about the wackadoo adventures that we all went on back in my former reality. I call it my former reality because this is my world, now, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Although the others all seem to think I'm a bit unseated, including Asahina's friend, Tsuruya, none of them seem to mind, as they get a kick out of my crazy stories, anyhow.

Nevertheless, every day we would go down to the café near the two schools, and sit and have coffee. Nagato would just sit there silently, as if hoping that nobody would notice her, Haruhi would jabber on about aliens, time travelers, and espers, sometimes asking me questions about the alternate versions of the ones sitting there, and her own alternate self. While it was true that her alternate self was quite as selfish as the one sitting before me, this one was much more willing to accept that I was telling the truth. Was it because I told her that I was John Smith, which she still called me, despite the fact that I've told her my real name at least five times. Well, I suppose it's no worse than being called 'Kyon'.

Asahina was still a little bit skeptical, and kept shooting me glances, as if worried that I'd fly off the handle again like I did when I first met "her". Who could say what would happen, though? Would Tsuruya murder me when she found out where Asahina-san was going after school these days? She shouldn't. After all, it was really Haruhi who dragged her here day after day, not me. Would Ryoko Asakura go crazy again and try to murder me? What could set her off? She seemed so normal. Of course, Alien Asakura seemed normal, too, even more normal than Nagato, and yet, Nagato wasn't the psycho. Suddenly, I was snapped out of my daze by Koizumi, who smiled at me as he usually did, and opened his mouth to speak.

"Kyon, may I borrow a moment of your time? I promise it won't take long. I'm sure you'd rather be sitting with three beautiful women than talking to me…" He said, smirking, and then laughing.

_What are you trying to say, Koizumi?_

"Sure. No problem." I replied, standing up and walking out the door of the café with the former Esper. Immediately when we got outside, his smile faded, and he looked at me very seriously.

"So…" I said. "Am I going to see your 'true personality', now?" Koizumi looked at me, slightly surprised.

"Well, I'm not sure what you mean by 'true personality'. If you mean that you believe me to be faking my friendly demeanor, you may be right. I'm not entirely sure myself what to say that I am. But rather, I'd like to ask how you knew that this 'John Smith' name would get Miss Suzumiya's attention like that. You say that you come from an alternate timeline, or alternate reality, that you are a 'slider' for lack of a better term. However, I know, and if I'm correct that Miss Suzumiya is much more logical than she appears, that she knows as well, that this is impossible. Why did you decide to come here like this? It seems strange that someone like you, who claims to have come from an alternate reality, would just happen to show up and declare openly, to a girl who just so happened to be looking for people like that, your background. Highly convenient, I'm sure you'd agree."

"So, you're going with the theory of, 'if it seems too good to be true, it probably is'?" I asked him. I wasn't really in the mood to explain my motives to Koizumi of all people. However, I suppose I didn't really have a choice. He had as much right to know as anyone. However, it seemed oddly nostalgic, this sort of conversation, except the explanations happened in reverse the first time. It was him explaining everything to me, rather than me explaining to him.

"I suppose you could call it that… Not a bad analogy."

"Well, unfortunately, I can understand your doubt. I had my own when all this was first explained to me. However, it was later proven to be true. Now that I'm stuck in this alternate reality, there's really no way that I could possibly prove it to you. Anyone who could have is gone, or at least replaced by mundane versions of themselves. So at that, I can't make you believe me. I can only try to tell you that this isn't a joke, and I have no secret agenda, other than to adapt to this life of normalcy."

"I see. Well, nothing I say is going to make you disappear. I'd prefer that you didn't hang out with us, but as Miss Suzumiya seems quite taken with you, 'John Smith', I can't really do anything about it."

"_You_ could leave. I'm not trying to take Haruhi away from you if that's what you're worried about."

"I suppose you have a point. You seem more interested in Miss Nagato…" Koizumi said sheepishly with his usual smirk. I scowled at him, and flipped him off.

"Fine, fine… Be that way. You needn't admit it to me, but you should do so to her sooner rather than later. Although she's very shy, that doesn't mean that her feelings are any less significant."

"And just what does that mean?" I asked Koizumi, glaring at him. At this, he merely shrugged and turned around. "What, indeed. Well, if you ever manage to scrounge up some proof that I was an Esper in an alternate reality, please tell me."

"There was proof. You remember the day we first met, right? I referred to myself as John Smith and then you and Haruhi came with me to North High and kidnapped Asahina and brought her to the Literary Clubroom. When that happened…"

"The computer turned on of its own accord… According to Miss Nagato, anyhow." Koizumi said, hitting his palm with his fist, opening his eyes completely, and staring at me. It was a bit disconcerting.

"Exactly. Two days before then, I woke up to find that the world was completely changed, and the only person that still existed from the SOS Brigade who even knew who I was was Yuki Nagato, although her memory of me was slightly skewed from my memory of the event. I searched through all of the books in the Literary Club, and came across the first book that Nagato lent me, ostensibly so I would read it, but she had hidden a note inside a bookmark back then. This time, I found another bookmark that said "find the key. Two days." So when I got all of us together in that clubroom, the computer turned on, and it was the old Nagato, saying that there was a way to correct the space-time anomaly, or some shit like that. If I wanted to, hit Y, if not, press any key, and the program would be deleted."

"Obviously, you decided not to go back to your old world. Why? Why would you want to remain here in this world that was so strange to you? Where we had no extraordinary powers, and none of us even knew you existed until recently?"

"Why?" I asked him, thinking for a moment. I wasn't entirely sure why I had chosen to stay. Surely it was because I was finally living the normal life I had always wanted. But was that the reason? It was true that living a 'normal' life in this world was much safer than any life I could have lived in my old world. No death defying field trips, vacations to islands where we got trapped for days in a hurricane, or strange games of baseball in which we somehow beat trained athletes despite merely being a ragtag team of high school students. I was sure at the time, in fact, I knew, that eventually, this would become the norm, and unlike my old world, life would become dull and humdrum. But I didn't care. I had lived the life that I had always dreamed about as a kid, with Espers, aliens, time travelers, shady organizations pulling strings in the government, and people with powers that defied all logic. Now, I was ready to just be normal again.

"I guess I realized this life isn't so bad. Normal people, normal school, normal after school… Well, relatively speaking."

"Aha! Well, that's an interesting perspective… You don't regret it, then?" Koizumi asked me, and I smiled back at him for the first time that day.

"No. I suppose I don't. Besides, this Haruhi is much easier to talk to than the Haruhi I used to know, you know, given the knowledge that if you said the wrong thing to her, she might rewrite the entire world."

At this, Koizumi laughed again, and started walking back in. "I can see that might pose a problem for one such as yourself. Well, don't let me keep you. Your girlfriends are no doubt wondering where you went…"

"I told you, none of them are my girlfriend, let alone all three of them."

As I sat back down, though, and Nagato smiled timidly at me, the worst possible thing that could have happened… happened. I heard the bell tinkle over the café door, and Tsuruya, Miss Asahina's friend walked into the café with a huge grin on her face, and was seated almost immediately. I kind of hoped that she didn't notice us, but luck wasn't on my side that day, as had already been proven by Koizumi's interrogation of me. As she was looking over the menu, she looked up and saw us sitting over in the corner, and gave a slight start before jumping up and running over to the table.

"Hey! Mikuru! So _this_ is where you've been going after school every day? No wonder I can't find you anymore in the calligraphy club! Who are these people!"

"Haruhi Suzumiya…" Haruhi said quietly, acting uncommonly polite.

"Itsuki Koizumi. It's nice to meet you," Koizumi said, standing and bowing politely to Tsuruya.

"Y-Yuki Nagato…" Nagato muttered, barely above a whisper, which could hardly be heard in the café.

"And I'm…" I began.

"I know who _you_ are! You're the weird guy who assaulted Mikuru that day four months ago!" Tsuruya snapped. "What's Mikuru doing with you, anyhow? You didn't kidnap her, did you?" Tsuruya asked loudly, pointing at me.

"I most certainly did not! And I resent that, thank you very much!" I replied indignantly. I may be as weird as they come, but I would never kidnap someone. That was more up Haruhi's alley.

"Well you don't exactly have a good track record, bub!"

"I hardly have any track record! And in all fairness, I was a little… okay, way wrong in the head that day. I was a little bit off with everyone else as well…" I lied to her. What other choice did I have? The truth would have been too strange for even someone as eccentric as Tsuruya to accept… I was only hoping that I could count on Asahina to not blow my cover, as I had been indulging Haruhi's endless questions about my alternate reality right in front of Asahina for four months, now. Surely, the brown haired beauty would realize that I was lying to cover my ass. Hopefully, she also knows now that I'm not dangerous or crazy… But with the stories I've been telling that are as good as lies given the circumstances I myself have chosen, she might _still_ believe that I'm a total nutjob. Hey, there's no helping it, I guess. I looked hopefully at Tsuruya, and waited as she stared at me suspiciously. Finally, she snorted, and sat down, pushing Koizumi further into the booth.

"Well… What did you say your name was, again?" She asked harshly, pointing rather rudely at me and grabbing a few fries from the middle of the table.

"Just call me Kyon. Everyone always has in the past…" I said, the double entendre quite clear to anyone who had listened to me for long enough. However, to her, it probably just sounded like my nickname.

"_Kyon_?" She asked, looking annoyed. "Can't you think of a better nickname than _that_?" She asked severely. It was quite clear that she still didn't like or trust me.

"Well, my real name is Kyosuke, but my aunt called me Kyon once, and my little sister sort of made it stick."

"Whatever… _Kyosuke_… Your name doesn't really suit your face. You don't look like a _Kyosuke_…"

"What name would you give me then?" I asked somewhat irately. I knew that my name didn't really suit me, but having _her_ of all people say that was kind of annoying.

"Just call him John!" Haruhi suddenly blurted out, and I knew that Tsuruya would either laugh her head off, or that I would be doomed with the story that was about to be told.

"John?" Tsuruya asked, raising an eyebrow and looking suspiciously at me.

"Yeah! John Smith!"

"Isn't that, like, Taro Yamada?*" Tsuruya asked. To that, I could only shrug. I had _no_ idea what she was talking about!

"I don't think so. It was just a name I made up on the fly a few years back before we, that is, all of us excluding you and Miss Asahina, you two being older than we are, entered high school."

"Okay, you've got my attention…"

"Well, I was…" I started, but unfortunately, Tsuruya didn't trust me yet, and so, telling her about time travelling back three years and altering the past was a no go. Fortunately, Haruhi in her infinite impatience, interrupted me.

"I was breaking into my middle school when I came across John, here, and he wrote the message on the soccer field in chalk to Tanabata and Hikoboshi on Tanabata. It was in the papers. He wrote, "I am here". Then, he showed up again ten minutes later and shouted 'Here's to saving the world by overloading it with fun with John Smith.' But try as I might, I couldn't find John Smith in the North High registry, despite the fact that he was wearing the uniform, and so, I figured he had to have graduated, and I decided to go to Kouyouen instead."

"Mhm… So you're saying that despite the fact that he looked like a high schooler and wore a high school uniform, he is only now in his first year of high school?" Tsuruya asked skeptically. At this, I stepped in, and tried to say something that would at least quell her suspicions for the moment.

"I could explain it to you, Miss Tsuruya, but you wouldn't believe me, so I don't really want to waste my breath doing it." I said in a slightly challenging manner, granted. Perhaps she would take the hint and not question me further. I suppose the ideal situation that I was hoping for was that she would not say anything and simply take Miss Asahina and warn me never to go near her again. Not _the_ ideal situation, having two people in North High thinking I'm a stalker/pervert/nutjob… But, as long as they kept their silence about it, which I was fairly sure Miss Asahina would do, and was somewhat less sure that Miss Tsuruya would do, maybe the situation wouldn't get any worse. Unfortunately, things never work out the way I plan them… It's like Murphy's Law: Anything that can go wrong will. I had never strictly adhered to that theory, feeling that although many things often did go wrong for me, enough things went right that the "law" was effectively disproven. However, now there was no worse time for the law to be flaunted right in my face.

"Try me, Mr. Stalker. I have plenty of free time, and I feel like I should stay here, if only to make sure you don't do anything weird to Mikuru here…"

"Fine, but you asked, so you don't have the right to call me crazy afterwards."

"I have the right to do whatever the hell I want, _John_! Just get on with it!" Tsuruya snapped. God, she was almost as impatient as Haruhi… And that was hard to do.

"Well, anyway, I suppose the story starts back sometime between December 17th and December 18th. I went to school on the 17th as I always did. This was back in a previous life, I suppose you could call it, though, I suppose the more accurate term would be an alternate reality. In this reality, Nagato over here was an alien, Koizumi, who went to North High at the time was an Esper, and Mikuru, who was a member of the SOS Brigade was a time traveler… You don't want to know what Haruhi was. Anyway, I guess we were sort of friends with you, although Mikuru merely introduced you as a friend of hers from her class, so I suppose that much hasn't changed. But between the 17th and the 18th, something really weird happened, and when I woke up on the 18th, the whole world had changed, although I didn't notice it until I walked into my class and saw that not only was Haruhi not there, but that Ryoko Asakura, who I knew had been "deleted" by Nagato was in Haruhi's seat. So that, among other reasons was why I was so out of it that day. I was hoping that someone from the old SOS Brigade besides me had retained their memories, so I went around looking for them, but only found Miss Asahina, on whom it seems I made a rather horrifying first impression, and Nagato, who knew me, but only from the public library where I helped her get a library card. So that's how the first day ended, and the next day, I was still slightly dazed, but I went back to the Literary Clubroom and searched through the books, and found the first book that the Alien Nagato had let me borrow. It had a bookmark inside which Nagato said was 'reminiscent of her handwriting, but that had not been written by her', and it said that I had to find 'the key'. Nagato had never made much sense to me, though, so I wasn't surprised that what she was saying was meaningless to me. So, I went back to class, where my friends, Taniguchi and Kunikida were sitting, and Kunikida remembered the conversation from the day before, and mentioned Haruhi Suzumiya again, who Taniguchi remembered from his middle school as the… er… extremely eccentric girl…"

"Taniguchi? That name sounds familiar… Didn't I date him for like five minutes?" Haruhi broke in, scowling in deep thought. "What a dull guy…"

"Er… Right. Anyway, I went to Kouyouen, where Taniguchi said that Haruhi had gone after middle school and told her that I was the "John Smith" that she had met three years previously on Tanabata. So she and Koizumi came back up to North High, and we sort of… borrowed Miss Asahina and went to the Literary Club, where the computer suddenly turned on, and offered me a chance to restore the world to the way it was before it was changed so drastically."

"And?" Tsuruya asked, now looking rather interested. Well, it was better than I had hoped. At least she hadn't flown off the handle with my seemingly insane story.

"And what? That's it. I decided that I liked this world better, and I deleted the program. Back in my normal reality, every day had something weird going on with Haruhi and the SOS Brigade. They were good friends, and I really enjoyed some of the things we did, but having a normal life where I wasn't in danger of being murdered by psychotic aliens, blown away by freak tropical storms, or caught in neverending loops of time that last over 500 years is kind of nice. So I filled out the application to the Literary Club that Nagato gave me and decided to stay. I know, it sounds completely mad. I wouldn't have believed it either if I hadn't lived it, but alas…" I finished. For a moment, Tsuruya said nothing. Then she burst into her usual loud laughter. That was the Tsuruya I knew. It was kind of funny to see her laughing like that again.

"Well, John Smith, I can't say exactly whether I believe you or not! Your story is pretty far-fetched, and as for your explanation of Mikuru's place in your original reality… Somehow she doesn't strike me as much of a… *pfft* time traveler! But you sure do know how to tell a good story. Maybe the Literary Club was the right place for you! You could get rich writing books about this shit! Ahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!" Tsuruya dissolved into a fit of giggles again, that ended up getting everyone else laughing as well, even timid little Nagato, who cracked one of her rare, but oh-so-adorable smiles that definitely looked better on her face than any pair of glasses could (although, I wasn't complaining about the glasses, either).

*A/N: For anyone who doesn't know, Taro Yamada is the Japanese version of John Doe, and Hana Yamada would be Jane Doe, as Taro and Hana were at the time the most common names in Japan. Tsuruya was commenting on how generic Kyon's alias was.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

I suppose I should say that after that "talk" with Tsuruya was when my life really changed a lot. Yuki still seemed like she had something that she wanted to say, but, as she had already spoken so much, I feel that I'm safe in guessing that she didn't want to say anything else for fear of sounding stupid. The other Yuki may have been able to say just about anything with a straight face, but this Yuki was shy, and almost painfully so. It probably had taken most of her courage just to ask all the questions that she had that day. Koizumi was the perceptive one, so it was he who noticed second that Yuki seemed intent on saying something. In truth, I'm glad that despite the fact that he's a smug bastard in both realities, he is at least tactful. And so, he looked at his watch and said with a face that made it all too obvious to me that he was lying "I am very sorry. I have a previous engagement tonight with my family, though. Even we Espers can't neglect family ties…"

And with that, Koizumi simply stood and put his share of the bill on the table. Reluctantly, Haruhi went with him, although she seemed like she wanted to refuse, to stay and talk more. However, she went with Koizumi, and next it was Miss Asahina's turn to leave. She stood and bowed politely to me.

"Kyosuke-kun… I apologize for hitting you back in December…" She said politely. "You may be a little bit eccentric, but you seem like a nice person."

When she smiled, her entire face lit up. It was like the old Asahina had come back. I wondered vaguely if this Asahina was as good at making tea as the other Asahina. I knew that they were in fact one and the same, but somehow, that still seemed strange to me. Tsuruya, in contrast to Asahina's farewell, looked suspiciously at me, but then gave me a sort of half-smile, and said, "Well, I don't completely trust you, _Kyosuke_, but Mikuru-chan seems to have finally forgiven you, so I guess I can't hold a grudge any longer, either. I'll see you whenever…" And with that, she strode out proudly, walking next to Asahina, looking for all the world like the sweet princess's guardian angel.

Now, with only Yuki left, I wondered if she was going to say what she had on her mind the entire day. At first, it seemed like she was just going to content herself with sitting and glancing at me nervously, then looking away. She looked mortified, like she was about to cry. Then, she stood up rather mechanically, grabbing my hand with both of hers and jerking me to the doorway. I grabbed some money out of my pocket before I was pulled from the table and paid my share of the bill, then allowed the extremely petite girl to drag me to the door and out onto the sidewalk. Once out there, she let go of my hand with her left hand and pulled me behind the café where I could only guess that the employees took their breaks. It was a beautiful day out, and cherry petals were scattered all over the ground wherever one went because it was springtime and that was the nature of the season. Fortunately, we no longer had to deal with cherry blossoms in the middle of fall like we did when Haruhi was "God", and other bizarre events. For a few moments, Yuki said nothing, then she took a deep breath and blurted everything out in one go. Definitely not what I expected, but so adorable that I couldn't help but be endeared by it.

"!" It was all one long word, and as tiny as she was, I was a little surprised that she had the lung capacity to say it all in one breath. So shocked was I not just at the question, but the sudden delivery that I said nothing for a moment. I guess Yuki first took that to mean no, too, because she waited for two seconds… then four… then eight… Slowly, then, the color rose to her face, and tears formed in her eyes. By the time she was done blushing, her face was beet red, and she looked horrified. Her whole body was stiff as a rod, almost like I could have given her a light tap, and she would have toppled over like a tower that was too tall.

"I-I-I-I'm sorry!" She cried, waving her hands frantically. I wondered now… Was this how the other Yuki felt all the time? Even as she gave explanations that no human could possibly understand? Even as she engaged in all those ridiculous activities that Haruhi planned? Was the girl secretly just terribly, painfully shy, and covering it up with an icy cool façade or perhaps Alien Yuki just had no way to express traits such as "shyness" and "nervousness", and so, they simply came across as "introversion" and "bluntness".

"P-please f-f-forget I said anything!" Yuki pleaded. I suddenly held my hand up for her to stop, though, and in the midst of taking a breath for her next sentence, she stopped dead.

"Yuki, I haven't said anything yet. You just surprised me. That's all. I've actually been wondering for a while if I should ask you out…" I said. It was true as well. It wasn't on the top of my mind or anything like that, but we had gotten rather close over the past four months, I had turned in the application for the literary club, and on days that Haruhi and Koizumi didn't come to the café with us, we would sit around and read, or talk, or whatever. Whatever Yuki thought of my stories of the alternate world, she at least enjoyed listening to me talk about it. As I looked at Yuki, she looked back in mild astonishment, and blushed happily this time.

"R-really?" She asked simply. I know, it was kind of a clichéd scene, but maybe she had read so many books where this kind of thing happened that she hoped that if she set it up like this, that it would be more likely to work… I don't know. I'm not a mind reader, and Yuki isn't either anymore.

"Is that so surprising?" I asked quietly, putting a hand behind my head and scratching an itch that had suddenly popped up rather annoyingly.

"W-well… Yes… R-Ryoko Asakura is th-the only one who ever paid much attention to me before. Before you helped me with my library card, I sometimes wondered… if I died, if anyone would even notice…"

Wow. Talk about depressing. I've known for months now that this Yuki Nagato, at least, was shy. I didn't know that she was so lonely, though, as well. Did Asakura know this about Yuki? If she did, was she doing anything to try to help? Did she even know what to do? I know I wouldn't have known what to do… I suppose I could've tried to tell the school counselor, but would that really help? Or would Yuki just stop trusting me?

"Kyon? W-would you… like to g-go to the cinema on Saturday? N-Noon, maybe?"

"Sure… I don't have anything planned that day…" I replied. And then, she hugged me tightly and ran off, nearly skipping. I guess I made her happy. I don't know. I never considered myself a very encouraging person, but I suppose everyone has to find their match in someone, right? Had I, in my first year of high school, found my match in Yuki Nagato, the timid little bibliophile that I could have just as easily overlooked had that one key event at the public library not occurred that brought our worlds together? Now, just so you, the reader, don't misunderstand, I'm not a romantic by any means. I don't believe in love at first sight, and I don't know anything about, nor did I care at that moment, about "forever and ever". But, I had a good feeling about Yuki… And although my "good feelings" have gotten me in trouble before, when I decided for the first time to talk to Haruhi, when I gave her the monologue that inspired her to create the SOS Brigade, when I so obediently went along with all of that little psycho's crazy schemes, I had decided at that moment that I should trust this good feeling. And so, I stood there slightly dazed, having accepted Yuki's request to see a movie with me on Saturday at high noon.

"Wow, Kyon." Came the voice that still scared the shit out of me sometimes. Ryoko Asakura, the "no longer psycho" class president, rated "AAA+" by Taniguchi at the beginning of the year.

"I was a bit nervous when you didn't answer at first…" Asakura said to me, smiling as she almost always did. "I was sure for a moment that you were going to reject poor little Yuki-chan. It took her months to work up enough courage to ask you out, you know. You really do mean that much to her, so I'll warn you again…" She said, her demeanor changing now to one of pure business. "If you're not serious about your relationship with Yuki-chan, back out now, for your own good. If you break Yuki-chan's heart, I'll make sure I break your body…" She continued, sounding really frightening now, advancing on me like a wildcat assessing its prey. For the moment, all I could think to do was be sarcastic. It seemed like I was best at that.

"I don't doubt it. You've already tried to kill me once. But were you aware that Yuki was so lonely?" I asked. At this, Asakura straightened up, and her expression became worried, rather than dangerous.

"I… I knew that she didn't have many friends, but I wasn't aware just how badly affected she was by that. Maybe I didn't see because I didn't want to look deep enough. She's slow to open up to people. I was no exception. She moved into the apartment below me three years ago…"

_Wow, even in this alternate reality, this "three years ago" plays an important role. Coincidence?_

"I still don't know why she suddenly moved in, or why she doesn't live with her parents, but for whatever reason, she's always been very isolated. I'm glad that she has friends like you and your little club. As strange as you are, I think she's enjoyed these past four months. So I say again, you better not hurt her."

"I won't." I replied. What else could I say, now? Whether Asakura believed me or not, I really did like Yuki, and was looking forward to our date on Saturday, even if I was a little nervous. I had never been on a date before. What did one say? Was I supposed to kiss her? Was that 'don't kiss 'till the third date' really valid? Maybe it was just one of those things friends told girls to keep them from moving too fast? Would Yuki think me rude if I tried to kiss her on our first date? I was loath to ask Koizumi for anything, but he was the only friend I had who had ever had a girlfriend. I did have his number, oddly, it was the same as his number in the alternate reality (go figure. It certainly would have been odd had I called him before we even met. "Uh hey, Koizumi, you don't know me, and technically, I only know you from an alternate reality…" Yeah, can you say stalker freak?

Nonetheless, I knew Koizumi had lied about being busy, or at least I was 90% sure that he had. He was good at lying with a straight face, so a 10% margin of error was pretty reasonable. So, I took out my cell and dialed him up.

"Itsuki Koizumi… What's up?" Came the voice on the other end. For a moment, my voice refused to come out.

"Hello? Are you there? Did I lose you?" He asked, still politely, but with that suspicious edge that he sometimes got in his voice.

"Hi. Sorry, Koizumi, it's just me." I replied, and I heard a laugh on the other side.

"Ah, Kyon. Sorry for the suspicion. I've been getting a lot of telemarketers lately. What can I do for you?" He asked, sounding rather earnest. It didn't suit him at all.

"Um…" I said, turning slightly pink. "I'm… I'm going on a date with Yuki on Saturday and I have no idea what I'm supposed to do…"

"Ah!" He replied. "It's about time you asked her out. I was starting to despair that you might never pop the question… Anyway, why are you asking me, Mr. Ladies Man? You seem to be quite good at getting the attention of attractive young women. I'd think you would already know what to do…"

"You know, your smug attitude pisses me off, but regardless, you're the only male friend I have who's ever had a girlfriend. What did you do on your first date with Haruhi?" I asked. On the other end, Koizumi sighed.

"Tut, tut. For one so seemingly talented with women, you sure are clueless. Going on a date with Miss Suzumiya probably wouldn't be anything like going on a date with Miss Nagato. Their personalities are so radically different that asking me what I did is like comparing apples and oranges."

"Please stop making fun of me." I said. I was really not in the mood to hear Koizumi subtly taunting me.

"Sorry. I couldn't resist a little bit. But in all seriousness, what are you planning to do with her?"

"We're going to the cinema…"

"Oh. Well, you don't need my advice, then. Just go in and enjoy the movie. She probably already has a movie in mind, so you don't have to worry about that. Just buy some popcorn and soda for the two of you and enjoy the movie. You know, I was suspicious of you earlier, but maybe I misjudged you. You're definitely a little eccentric, but you're not a bad person."

"Gee… Thanks…" I replied through gritted teeth. Eccentric, am I? What the fuck is that supposed to mean?

The next day, Friday, passed obscenely slowly. Perhaps it was because I kept looking up at the clock. Perhaps it was because even as I was nervous, I was excited about going on a date. Even I, the eternally apathetic Kyon could get excited about something, and so, I was really tense all day. I wondered, should I ask Asakura a little bit about Yuki so that I could at least have some conversation topics on which to focus? It seemed rude to talk about Yuki when she wasn't present like that, but maybe if it would help the date go more smoothly, then it would be good for her as well? Was I only trying to justify my desire to find out about her the easy way, though? Regardless, my lack of attention to everything except the petite bibliophile didn't go unnoticed, and in last hour (finally!), the teacher smacked my desk with his ruler, snapping me rather alarmingly out of a daze.

"Kyosuke-san… Perhaps you could tell us how to conjugate 'to be' in English?" The teacher asked sternly. I thought for a minute. It was vaguely familiar. I wasn't as good at English as Haruhi was, but I figured I had no excuse not to try.

"I are, you am, he/she is. We are, you (formal) are, they are."

"Well, I suppose you didn't do as badly as you did on your last test, Kyosuke-san. But you reversed the conjugations of I and you. It's 'I am' and 'you are'. Try to pay closer attention."

"Yes, sir." I said and I sighed in relief. I had practically pulled that out of nothing. Bullshitting my way through a class usually didn't work, as evidenced by my grades when I didn't study. However, after what seemed like an age, class ended, and I was approached by none other than Ryoko Asakura, who smiled brightly at me, showing no indication of the rather frightening threats she had issued the previous evening.

"Nervous about your date?" She whispered in my ear, giggling at my reaction. I gulped and nodded.

"Don't be. I feel I hardly need to say that Yuki-chan is head over heels for you."

"S-speaking of Yuki…" I said tensely, trying to keep my voice down. "D-does she have interests other than books?"

Asakura cocked her head at me for a moment, then clicked her tongue, wagging her finger at me, in a teasingly scolding manner.

"What a strange thing to ask. Of course she has other interests. She likes… Oops. My bad… You'll have to find out for yourself, Kyon. Well, gotta go! Student Council awaits!" She then giggled again and jogged out of the classroom, at which point, Taniguchi and Kunikida, the _last_ two people I wanted to be stuck talking to walked over. Taniguchi naturally started with his usual dimwitted banter.

"Kyon, dude! I had no idea you were so close with Ryoko Asakura! How come you never told me!" He shouted, causing several of our classmates to look over at him in disapproval.

"I'm not close at all with her! She's just close with Yuki Nagato…" I said quietly, putting a finger to my lips to maybe make him be a bit quieter.

"Who?" He asked bluntly, so Kunikida leaned over and whispered something in his ear, and the idiot's eyes lit up, and he nodded in understanding.

"Right, the cute little literary club girl. But how would Nagato cause Ryoko Asakura to talk to you?"

Kunikida then leaned over again and spoke to Taniguchi, this time loud enough for me to hear.

"A friend of mine at the café down the road from Kouyouen told me that she heard Nagato asking Kyon on a date, and that he agreed." I couldn't believe that Kunikida of all people could have found out, but then, they did all go to school just up the hill from that café.

"H-how did you find out, Kunikida! And more, don't tell this guy!"

"Sorry, Kyon…" Kunikida said, shrugging. "You know he would've kept bugging you for an answer, though. And you know the waitress, too. She said she was a little put off that you didn't recognize her. You did sit behind her all second year in middle school, after all."

Suddenly, I remembered the girl. Although she had gotten a bit taller, it was true that she did look almost exactly the same. Even her hairdo was the same. I vaguely wondered how I didn't recognize her. Although it was true that being thrown into an alternate reality had thrown me off a bit, the seating arrangement in middle school hadn't changed. I had found out from declaring myself to be "John Smith" that certain things hadn't changed about the past, whatever that was, anymore

"Oh. Well, just… I know you naturally have a big mouth, Taniguchi, but try not to tell anyone! This is our first date, and I don't even know how it's going to go…"

"Oh, yeah, no problem…" (Famous last words)

And so, of course, by Monday, half the school knew that Yuki Nagato and I were dating, although the story of what happened was skewed a bit.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

As promised, I arrived at Yuki's apartment at 11:50 so that we'd have time to get down to the cinema before the movie started. I went up to her door and knocked, taking a deep breath to steady myself. Although I knew in my mind that this was nothing more than seeing a movie, and that I probably wasn't going to be expected to be able to do anything "mad awesome", somehow, it seemed like I had been in a daze all morning. I had let slip that I was going out with a girl, and had to deal with the ensuing teasing from my sister, the fussing from my mother, and the "facts of life" chat from my father, all of which I had to hurry through because I didn't want to be late.

After a moment, the door opened, but I didn't see the person I was expecting. Instead of timid little Yuki, it was Ryoko Asakura, who was nearly my height, and far more confident than I felt Yuki would ever be. She closed the door and gently took my hand, leading me down the hall a slight way before letting go and smiling at me. I knew that I didn't have much reason to worry, that her "Jenny the Homicidal Maniac Mode" didn't exist in this world. Still, though. That smile scared the hell out of me, more than any glare possibly could (even from Haruhi, and that was saying something).

"Hello, Prince Charming…" She said cheerfully, still smiling. "It's good that you're on time. Yuki-chan was worried that you weren't going to show up…"

_Is that supposed to be my fault!_

"Anyway, I was just here to help Yuki-chan get ready. I have to go to a track meet, today. Enjoy your date!"

With that, I went back toward the apartment with the distinct feeling that Asakura would most definitely know later if the date didn't go well, and that I would pay for it severely somewhere down the line. I walked into the apartment. It was a nice place with three rooms and a large window, definitely upper crust. As Brian from Family Guy would say, "whose leg do you have to hump to get a dry martini?" or in this case, a swanky apartment like this…

"Hey, Yuki…" I said, gulping. She wasn't wearing her school uniform, and in fact, she had completely dispensed with her usual look, wearing an adorable butterfly barrette in her hair and a lime green short sleeved shirt and a pink skirt.

"Wow…"

Upon hearing me say this, Yuki blushed, and turned away slightly, muttering something like, "I told Ryoko I looked terrible in this…"

Now that I was going on a date with Yuki, her self-consciousness showed more than ever.

"No. That's not it. You look really cute…" I said with a smile. The words seemed strange coming from my mouth, like someone else was saying them… It was weird. Even I was feeling a bit out of place. Granted, I hadn't thought to wear anything nice. I just wore my typical Saturday clothes, so maybe I was a little bit out of place.

"R-really! You really think so!" She asked me, her eyes lighting up. What did she think I was going to say? 'No, I was lying, you do look horrible?'

"Yeah. You look great. We should hurry up before all the good seats are taken…"

So far, the date was going pretty well. I was actually a little surprised that nothing had gone wrong yet. I had long since learned that when either Haruhi or I were involved, that something almost always went wrong. I really had to get that idea out of my head. After all, Haruhi wasn't "God" anymore. I took Yuki's hand in my own, and we walked out of the apartment, now being forced to run in order to get to the 1210h showing in time. Unlike the alien Yuki, who could run 8 laps ahead of everyone else (except Haruhi, who was running 10 laps ahead (2 ahead of Yuki, though I think that may have been intentional on Yuki's part, given her bogus magic)), this Yuki was physically quite weak, apparently, and even though I was helping pull her along, it probably would've been faster if I had simply carried her… Although that would have been embarrassing for both of us, so that's a no go.

"K-Kyon…!" She gasped, holding her hand over her heart and yanking her hand out of mine, stopping to try to catch her breath.

"Sorry, Yuki… Are you alright?" I asked. Maybe I could've just gotten to the apartment a bit earlier, but as my alarm clock went off ridiculously late (thanks to my sister, who thought it would be hilarious to turn it off), I didn't get there until 10 of, and now, we had 5 minutes until the movie started. Of course, I didn't blame Yuki. It would've been great if she still had the ability to teleport or whatever she did that one time, but no use crying over spilt milk… or something like that.

"S-sorry… Kyon…" She was still gasping. It would've been adorable if we weren't so late. Hell, who was I kidding? Everything about her was adorable.

"I-I'm fine…"

"Don't worry. Take your time…"

Seemingly ignoring me, though, Yuki straightened up, and ran ahead of me. Finally, we were moving again, but maybe, I thought, I should've ridden my bike. That would at least have been faster, and Yuki didn't weigh that much… She was tiny, even Asakura said she didn't eat much. After much running, we got to the movie. For me, the run hadn't been so bad. I was never great at sports, but somehow, I managed through the years. Yuki was a wreck, though. Her hair was flying all over the place, now, her glasses were askew, and she looked about ready to collapse. So, I bought our tickets and we went into the theater. Not having time, now to buy snacks, we went into the showing room, although I kind of wondered why a timid girl like Yuki wanted to see a movie like Invaders from Xoriat. I had seen the trailer for it. It was a sci-fi movie, but it looked kind of like one of those sci-fis that doubled as a horror film.

Needless to say, I was right. It didn't take long to notice that I was the only one having fun. It was true that I had wanted to see this movie, but not at someone else's expense. No, this would be Haruhi's idea of a good movie, weird brain devouring aliens with tentacles and slime covered maws that somehow slipped through a temporal-spatial rift from a dimension at the edge of reality. Yuki, however, seemed to have much more delicate sensibilities, and every explosion seemed to make her jump, every bloody, gore soaked death make her squirm. It was the kind of movie that a mean older brother in a movie would trick his little sister into seeing (before you say anything, yes, I have contemplated trying to get my sister, Hana to come to one of these movies. I've never felt mean enough to do it, though.) After one particularly brutal scene, in which the aliens, who had by that point taken over the entire region, were engaged in a positive orgy of brain devouring, heads being melted open by their acidic slime and the brains turning to slurry in their tooth filled maws, which ground them up with amazing slurping sounds so that some of the brain matter was dribbled back out down their front, I looked over and saw Yuki positively retch, and jump up and run out of the theater.

_Damn. I guess we should've left when I first noticed she was getting upset. Shit! Now I feel guilty, too…_ I thought, but I said nothing and simply moved my way out to the back door, where I found Yuki groaning, apparently having regurgitated her entire breakfast (meager though it probably was).

"Yuki! What happened?" As if I needed to ask. More than feeling I should have left when I first noticed, I should've realized that this couldn't possibly be the type of movie that would hold any appeal for Yuki.

"S-sorry, Kyon… I-I thought you would be h-happier at a horror f… ilm than a romance, or s-something boring like that…" She said… Now I felt even worse.

"Why don't you go to the bathroom and clean up a bit? I'll go get you something to drink. Do you have any preferences?"

Geez… Maybe my personality had changed too, when I entered this alternate reality. I know perfectly well that I used to be slightly pessimistic and sarcastic. Now, though, I'm still slightly sarcastic, but maybe my adventures with Haruhi have made me more positive? Who knows? Alien Yuki would've been able to explain it. Hell, even Esper Koizumi probably could've explained it. So I simply pondered this as I stood in line to buy some water for Yuki, who had said that water was about all she could hold down.

"Hey, there…" The girl at the counter said. You get thirsty halfway through the movie? I guess watching those aliens devouring brains does make you kind of thirsty… Ahaha!"

"No. My date just isn't feeling well. We're probably gonna leave.

"'zat her?" the girl asked rather informally. I looked over to see Yuki standing at the hallway, looking positively miserable, waiting for me. I kind of wondered if she thought I was planning to go back to the movie. I had considered it at first, but only for a moment. I could just come another time and see it on my own. I didn't have to continue to force Yuki to sit through it as well.

"Yep, that's her."

"She's cute… How'd you two hook up? You seem complete opposites." She said dully. I sighed, wondering the same thing. I really did like Yuki, but I couldn't deny that our personalities were extremely different.

"I dunno. I better get her home, though. I wouldn't like to think I didn't treat her well on our first date."

"You go, Romeo…" She said, giggling as I walked off and took Yuki's hand, leading her to the door. At first, she resisted me, and tried to walk back to the theater.

"I-it's alright, Kyon… I-I'm fine now. I just… d-didn't expect s-so much blood…" Yuki said, blushing fiercely in embarrassment.

"No way. Yuki, please just come home. I shouldn't have taken you to that movie. I-I wasn't thinking about you. I apologize…" I said. Again, apologizing felt weird, especially to Yuki, who I used to know as an icy cool android with few emotions, and even fewer expressions. I never needed to apologize to that Yuki. I wasn't complaining about the situation. It was just ironic that I was in it.

"Kyon, d-do you think we… c-could try having another date next weekend…?" She asked nervously, turning pink. "I-I mean, I know it's a lot to ask, given how terrible this date went, you probably don't want to! But…" She trailed off vaguely. I stopped and took her shoulders, turning her gently. It didn't take much to steer her small body around.

"Yuki…" I said seriously. "I already told you, it's my fault for taking you to that kind of movie without finding out what kind of movies you like first. I'll go on another date with you next Saturday, and the one after that, too, if possible."

"R-really! Y-you will! Thank you!" Yuki cried, jumping forward, surprising me, and kissing me before apparently realizing that we were still in public in the middle of the day, and she backed off, blushing furiously again.

_So cute! So cute!_

"D-do you want to come to my apartment for tea?" She asked nervously, like she still thought I might say "no". I wanted to do _something_ with Yuki that day, though… Or at least, something that didn't involve horrifying her beyond all reason.

"Yuki…" I said. I wasn't quite sure how to ask this. I wasn't even sure that Asakura would know the answer. She and Yuki were about as close as anyone was to Yuki, but as Asakura had said, she was slow to warm up to people. And so, again in this world, I was an anomaly, an uncertain factor, except that instead of affecting Haruhi, I was affecting Yuki. Coincidence? Ha! I stopped believing in coincidence a long time ago, sometime after I met Haruhi, and Koizumi explained that most things that seemed like coincidence, such as the fact that Haruhi just happened to track down an alien, time traveler, and esper to be in her club, was orchestrated subconsciously by Haruhi herself, because that was what she desired, even though she abjectly refused to believe that they were said classifications.

"What happened in the theater? Why did you get so upset?"

Yuki looked uncomfortable upon hearing me ask this. I suppose, though, that I would be uncomfortable as well if I was asked such a personal question.

"I-i-it's too embarrassing… Y-you'd laugh if you knew…" Yuki muttered timidly.

"What? No I wouldn't…" I had heard a lot of ridiculous things. Things that defied all logic, and yet were no laughing matter. Nothing Yuki could say now could possibly make me laugh at her.

"W-well… I-it's just… I'm terrified of blood!" She said a bit too loudly, maybe she wanted to say it before she could stop herself. What was most surprising was that I wasn't surprised. I could see someone like Yuki being scared of blood. A lot of people were. It was a fairly common phobia.

"I'm really sorry I took you to that movie, Yuki… But… We're here…" I said pointing to her apartment. I wasn't sure why I was apologizing. It was Yuki that suggested that we see Invaders from Xoriat, although even at the time, I thought it was a little bit odd, but Yuki had always been into science fiction, so I thought that maybe she liked that kind of movie.

"Kyon? Yuki-chan?" Came a voice from Yuki's door. It was Ryoko Asakura again. She sure did seem to pop up everywhere.

"You're done already? That was a short movie. Which one did you see?" She asked politely.

"P-please don't ask…" Yuki pleaded, taking the key out of her pocket and opening the door to her apartment. I followed her inside. The heated table wasn't there anymore, replaced by a normal table in the center of the room, and on the left wall, there was a large bookshelf. It was a tidy apartment, neater than my room, anyhow.

"Hold on, Kyon… I promise I'll give him back to you in a moment, Yuki-chan…" She said with a cheerful smile, leading me outside again and shutting the door.

"Which movie did you see? She doesn't look very well."

"Invaders from Xoriat…" I said simply, trying to sound like I wasn't more than a little ashamed to say that. It seemed that Asakura was extremely perceptive, though.

"Tut tut. I was hoping that you'd have been able to talk her out of seeing that one. She was convinced that it was the movie you'd want to see. So what happened?"

"She got sick in the middle of the movie and we left. She told me that blood scared her. Do you know anything about that?"

"I know she only gave you the condensed version of it. Blood, violence, sudden noises. She's kind of jumpy. I'm happy you're trying, though! Maybe you'll be able to crack her open a bit more than I have, though. Even though I've known her for three years, I don't know very much about her, except that she's never shown this much interest in anyone. Please don't give up on her?" Asakura said. And this time, unlike her usual tone, which was very 'in control', she sounded like she truly was requesting this of me. Not a threat, not a suggestion or an order… An honest, earnest request. If Asakura acted like this more often around me, maybe I wouldn't be so scared shitless of her.

"Just promise you won't kill me…" I said, smiling placatingly. "You already tried once, and you damn near succeeded before… a-a friend… managed to delete you. I don't doubt that this supposedly normal 'you' would be any less capable of killing me…"

Ryoko Asakura stared at me blankly for a moment, then laughed brightly. Her laughter was nearly contagious. The charisma and confidence that she exuded was ever present, and she drew others into her line of thinking. That was why she was class president. I remember that other people ran, but none even came close to her. She got 78% of the votes in the class. It was a record high at North High. Finally, though, she stopped laughing, and looked at me with a mixture of confusion and amusement.

"You really must not think much of me, Kyon…" She giggled. "I have no intention of hurting you. I don't know whether I believe that you're from an alternate reality. I suppose that it's possible, but then, what happened to the original "you" of this reality? Perhaps he didn't exist? But then why do I remember so clearly "you" introducing yourself at the beginning of the year? Why do I remember so plainly Yuki-chan coming back to her apartment to tell me about the extraordinarily kind boy who had helped her fill out the papers for a library card? There are a lot of things about your story that could be explained through the simple possibility of temporal-spatial alterations. Perhaps when "you" were thrown into this world, the original "you" was replaced, or maybe the original "you" never really existed, and all my memories of "you" are either fake, or actually contrived of those of the current "you". Regardless, your rather eccentric approach seems to be good for Yuki-chan, so I do hope that you'll continue to give her a chance, even after the supposed disaster that happened today…"

What could I possibly say to such a humble request? I couldn't refuse Asakura, now, and even if I could, I was long past being able to refuse Yuki. Instead of saying all that, though, I nodded briefly, and walked past Asakura, bowing in thanks to her, recognizing that she had through her questioning and pondering told me a small bit about Yuki. I really did feel like I was getting somewhere. The small bibliophile was a tough nut to crack. Why was _this_ Yuki so involved with books? Did she just prefer them to people? And if so, why?

"Hey, Yuki…"

Before I could continue, though, Yuki turned bright red and began shouting at me. "I'm so sorry I ruined our date! I just wanted to go to a movie that you would like! I… I…"

"Stop… I-I mean, hold on a second, please. You didn't ruin our date. I'm happy I was able to go out with you today. Please stop apologizing. It wasn't your fault this happened." I was trying to be nice about all this… Honestly, I think I failed. "What I really wish is that you hadn't tried to force yourself to watch a movie you knew was going to upset you so badly…"

"But…"

"I know. You thought I wouldn't want to see a romance. It didn't really matter to me what movie we saw. I was just excited that I was able to go on a date with you, Yuki…" I said, turning slightly pink, though I hoped that she didn't notice.

Before I knew what was happening, Yuki had thrown her arms around my middle, and kissed me, before pulling away, looking rather horrified at what she, herself had just done.

"I-I'm sorry! I-I just…"

"D-don't mention it…" I said vaguely. I couldn't complain that I was getting my first kiss so soon after we had started dating."

For a moment, Yuki looked like she had something to say, but was afraid to say it. I wished I could somehow convey to her that she could tell me anything, but I wasn't sure if she'd believe me. I don't think she thinks I would lie to her, but she sort of seems like the type to keep her feelings hidden. Finally, after sitting there for a few more minutes, she squeaked, and then spoke.

"K-Kyon? If I tell you a secret, d-do you promise not to tell anyone?" She asked, looking more nervous than ever. I nodded blankly, and she took a deep breath.

"Th-that day back in late December, the day you burst into the Literary C-club room, I… Y-you saved my life that day… A-and I never knew how to thank you after that, because I knew for sure that nothing I said would ever be enough."

"What? W-what do you mean?" I asked breathlessly, my heart caught in my throat. Yuki looked like she was about to cry again.

"I-if I tell you this, you can't tell _anyone_!" She said forcefully. "E-especially not Ryoko! I-I just know she… she would hate me if I told her the truth!" Yuki sobbed, choking on her tears. For a moment, I just held Yuki, standing there. Then, I pulled her down into a sitting position. Maybe we would be more comfortable that way. I couldn't be sure. But it couldn't hurt.

"I promise I won't tell anyone, Yuki-chan…"

_Great! Now I'm getting in the habit of calling her Yuki-chan!_

"You need a little bit of history to understand my story. I hope you don't mind…" She said, taking a deep breath and looking hopefully at me.

"Of course not. Take as long as you need." I said. I hope I was being supportive. She seemed like she really needed it.

"It was about three years ago, I guess that my parents were killed. The police told me that someone had been stalking me, and murdered them when they refused to let him see me. I don't think they've found him yet. But since most of my family lives in China, Korea, and ironically, Canada…"

_You have no idea how ironic that is, Yuki-chan._

"They didn't want to move me out of country, so I was moved here, and am supported by my aunt from my mother's side. I kind of lost control of myself after my parents' deaths, and refused to talk to anyone, although I knew I still could talk if I wanted to. I wanted to see them again, if only to apologize for getting them killed. If I had known that… all the man wanted was to talk to me, I would've done it!" She said, grabbing me, her eyes taking on almost a mad shine. "Back four months ago, though, I had just entered high school, and I wasn't making any more friends than I had in middle school. I had decided that December 18th was the night. I was finally going to be with my parents again. I was going to leave school as soon as I finished that last book, and get home before Ryoko got there, and be dead by the time she brought dinner over. I was about ten minutes from finishing my book when you burst in. You were a little bit scary at first, but I wondered if maybe someone was trying to tell me that I wasn't allowed to die yet. I asked if you would come back the next day, not really expecting you to say yes. But you did, so I waited for you, and you did. Then on the third day, you brought a bunch of other people with you. It seemed like there were finally people that I could talk to. Then, I thought of my parents and what wonderful people they were. I was sure that they wouldn't have wanted me to give up. So… I-I owe you my life. But how do I pay back something so incredible?" Yuki asked, looking a little bit worried. For a moment, my hold on her slackened, but then, I pulled her tighter. Even I wasn't sure exactly what I was doing. I only knew that if I didn't do anything, that something would be over.

"Yuki-chan… You don't owe me anything…" I said quietly. "Even if I had known what I was doing, I still would say the same thing. You may not remember, but the other you has saved me countless times. You saved me from a deranged alien, from a malicious computer program made reality… and probably a few other things that I can't remember at the moment…"

For a moment, Yuki didn't say anything, but then, her face cracked into a smile, and she giggled. "Y-you're strange…" She said. I couldn't argue with that. What else could one call me but strange. I bent over, and kissed her gently on the forehead.

"Just promise me one thing, Yuki-chan…"

"Anything!" She said, smiling eagerly. "I know I promised not to tell anyone…" Her smile fell, and she looked frightened for a moment. "And I stand by that. But one person that shouldn't be kept in the dark is Asakura. I said I wouldn't tell her…" I said, interrupting Yuki before she could speak. "But… I think you _should_ tell her. She loves you, Yuki-chan. She's been helping you and caring about you for three years. I think you at least owe her the truth."

"W-will you come with me when I tell her?"

"Of course. You have to be the one to tell her, though."

"S-sure…" Yuki said, smiling brightly at me. It was a truly radiant smile, not one of her typical shy, or lonely smiles. I think that was what led me to do it. I cupped her cheek in my hand and slowly, kissed her. That was when I found out that the whole "3rd date" thing… is bullshit. Granted, there were certainly extraordinary circumstances on my first date… and what a first date it had been. It made me wonder how things ended up going so fast. Only two days ago, she was still nervous about asking me out, I would imagine, and today, we've kissed, she's told me her darkest secret, and we're closer than some people probably are after their tenth date. But alas, such is life when you've come from an alternate reality… or something.

"_Kyon… Kyon…" Came a vaguely familiar voice. Was I dreaming? I hadn't heard that voice in months and months. It was just what I had wanted to hear back in December, but now, I wasn't so sure it was a good thing._

"_Nagato?" I asked in astonishment, and surely enough, as soon as I said that, the stoic alien appeared before me, without the glasses, and without the typical timid look on her face._

"_Yes, I am the old Nagato, as you have been calling me. I programmed myself into your memories, despite the fact that I was anomalous just in the event that you decided that you liked this life better."_

"_So… It was you that created this world, then?" I asked, shocked to hear that Nagato could do something like that… I mean physically, or magically do something like that. It seemed only in the realm of possibility for Haruhi. However, I suppose she has some complex explanation for how it happened._

"_Yes, I suppose you could say that I 'created' this world. A serious error had affected me, and I had become severely anomalous, and thus, I was prompted to 'borrow' some of Suzumiya's powers and alter the entire world so that Suzumiya Haruhi as you knew her at the time was never born. I could not completely erase anyone from existence. I could only alter their data feeds so that they appeared in different aspects. Thus, Ryoko Asakura was reborn, and I became the way you know me to be now."_

"_Okay, I didn't understand any of that. But why would you give your alternate self such a horrible past! Your parents were murdered by a mad stalker! Seriously!"_

"_My data feed was severely malfunctioning when I created this world, however, some of the blame does indeed lie with me. I created a past that would support the 'me' that you once knew. As I did not have parents, I could not have parents as my alternate self… Is what I was thinking."_

"_Then, you intentionally made the current Yuki so painfully shy?"_

"_I do not understand the fundamental concepts of 'extroversion' and 'confidence'. And so, I created a version of 'me' that conformed to my own self image."_

_ Damn… That's sort of a downer… I can't believe Nagato can say that with a straight face._

"_But… I did not enter your dream tonight to discuss why I did what I did. I…" She hesitated, looking nervous, bringing her thumb up to her mouth in an almost normal display of hesitance. "I wanted to… to thank you."_

"_Thank me? For what? We, you know, the rest of the SOS Brigade are the ones that drove you to this 'state of anomaly', or whatever you called it…"_

"_No. Thank you for being so kind to my alternate self. There was a reason that she was going to commit suicide on the night that you burst into the Literary Club room. The aftershocks of the data quake that I had created had not quite settled yet, and my alternate self was still not stable. Because she was unstable, she was prone to anomalies, similar to the way I was. Her data feed was in danger of disappearing, and thus, only needed a good story to cover its sudden disappearance, or death, as humans call it. I cannot quite confirm how your presence stabilized her, but the shock that you induced in my alternate self when you slammed open the door forced her into stabilization."_

"_Yeah… Nagato, none of that made any sense to me. You might as well have been speaking in Greek…"_

"_But I was not programmed to speak Greek…" She said blankly. I sighed. She didn't get the expression. Not that I was surprised. I suppose I shouldn't have bothered with something like that._

"_I cannot stay any longer. It takes a great deal of energy to appear in your dreams at all. Do not expect me again, though circumstances may permit me to visit you again one day."_

"_I'll look forward to that then…"_


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Monday was a strange day for both Yuki, and for me. Although we were in different classes, our classmates had heard a lot of the same rumors, spread, no doubt, by that dipshit Taniguchi… Damn! I'm gonna kill him when next I get the chance. My day started pretty normally. I headed down to Yuki's apartment, where I met her outside, and we got on the train together to go to school, then walked up the hill, past Kouyouen Academy, where we said hello to Haruhi. She seemed in a bad mood that day, and Koizumi wasn't with her. I could only assume that meant that she had finally broken up with him. Of course, I was a little surprised, not that she broke up with him, she did that eventually with every guy, apparently, but that Koizumi lasted a whopping four months, when the next longest relationship she had had been a week long, and the shortest had been five minutes, the prize for which goes to my dear departed friend, Taniguchi. Before I kill him, I'll have to make sure to rub that in his face somehow. Let me tell you, he deserves everything he gets.

Haruhi scowled at me and if I didn't know any better, I would've sworn that she made a pretty rude hand gesture at Yuki-chan. They had always gotten along well in the past. What would be the reason for such a sudden change? Yuki-chan seemed slightly thrown off by it, too, and she timidly tried to smile at Haruhi. I'll never tell Yuki this, but, it looked a lot more like a grimace, especially with the way she cringed when she tried. I admire her for attempting it, but I felt a little sorry for her at the same time.

Once we got up to school was when I really noticed people staring at us. Whispering and laughter seemed to be going on a lot more than usual. Naturally, as we were going to opposite sides of the school, Yuki and I split up at the front door, and I went right, and she went left. Some way down the hall, I ran into Tsuruya, who actually grinned at me, displaying her prominent sharp tooth that always gave her something of a lisp.  
>"Hiya, Kyon!" She said brightly, clapping me rather hard on the back. I gasped as the wind was driven from my lungs.<p>

"So…" She continued loudly. "I hear that you and that Yuki Nagato girl are going out!" I should've known on Friday that bigmouth, Taniguchi couldn't keep a secret.

"Oh?" I asked through gritted teeth. "And who, pray tell, told you that?"

"Oh, shoot! Now I forgot his name. Tanizawa… Tamagatchi? No, that's not right…" She said, now looking lost in thought.

"Taniguchi?" I suggested. Her eyes lit up at this. "Yeah! He's the one! He said you two are already pretty hot and heavy! Ahahahahahahaha! What a stud, Kyon!" And just like that, if anyone hadn't known before, they did now, or would by the end of the day.

"Shh! Not so loud! We most certainly are _not_ 'hot and heavy'! We just went to see a movie!" I whispered.

"Really? What movie did you see?" She asked, now sounding curious rather than amused.

"Y-you don't wanna know…" I said, turning crimson at the memory of this.

"Hell, yeah, I do!" She said, giving me a peace sign. I sighed and said, "Invaders From Xoriat…" Preparing myself for the inevitable scolding that I was about to get from both Asahina and Tsuruya. Instead, Tsuruya just started laughing.

"Ahahahahahahahahaha! *Pfft* _Wow_, Kyon…" She said sarcastically. "You know, for one so popular with the girls, you sure are stupid… *Pfft*! H-how'd it go?"

"Not well." I said somewhat irately. It still was a little bit irritating to remember that _she_ had been the one to suggest the movie, but I was the one who ended up being blamed. Oh well, you win some, you lose some, right? "It turns out Yuki-chan is severely phobic about blood… I suppose I should've known Xoriat was a bad recommendation…" I sighed. This time, Tsuruya looked sympathetic, though, and she put a hand on my shoulder.

"Ah, well! Shit happens! See ya' later!" She said loudly, walking off with Asahina in tow.

Yeah. Shit does happen. Like seeing an old version of Nagato in my dreams, or finding out that the one who made Yuki's past so miserable was Nagato herself. At the time, I had wanted to punch Nagato in the face… Trust me, she wouldn't be that badly hurt, considering she could stand being impaled by a dozen spikes. But now, I sort of understand. Having been created artificially, she probably didn't understand 'feelings' and 'emotions' very well. So she mimicked them as best she could while creating 'Yuki' and 'Ryoko' in this world, but could only manipulate them to a minor degree… Or something like that.

CRACK! "GAAHH!" I yelped as a yardstick slammed down on my desk. I had apparently been spacing out. Hearing the laughter issuing from the rest of the class was bad enough, but I looked behind me and saw Asakura grinning at me as well… Or maybe it was just my imagination.

"Kyosuke-san… Perhaps you could explain to the class what happens when you mix Sodium and Nitrogen and heat to boiling?"

"Um… Sorry, sir…" I muttered. The teacher then tapped me on the head with his yardstick and told me to pay attention. I suppose I could've gotten worse.

After school, I got together with Yuki, we kissed briefly in the clubroom where nobody could see us (at Yuki's insistence), and went down to the café, where we met up with Haruhi, Miss Asahina, and Tsuruya. As we sat down, I definitely noticed the vacancy where Koizumi used to sit.

"Hey, Haruhi…" I said, fearing I already knew the answer before I asked. "Yeah, John?" She said, glaring at me, and then at Yuki, who shrank back nervously, cowering behind me.

"What happened to Koizumi? Aren't you two usually together?"

"After you told us that Itsuki was an esper in an alternate world, I thought maybe his powers would come out if given time, but he's just so boring, and his powers never came… so I dumped him." She said bluntly. At this, I could only sigh. Yep. That was the Haruhi I knew… Couldn't keep her attention for longer than a week if you were normal.

"He didn't even give an interesting response when I broke up with him! 'I see… Okay, then…' is all he said! Boring! The one I'm really interested in is you, John…" Haruhi said, leaning on the table and blinking her eyelashes rapidly. I noticed Yuki next to me stiffen and look away from her. What was I supposed to say to Haruhi in a situation like this? 'Sorry, I'm already taken'? I suppose it wouldn't have any adverse side effects like it might have in the other world. All the same, though, I don't want to hurt the girl's feelings… She may not be able to destroy the world, but that doesn't make it alright to upset her. The problem was… Whether it was this Haruhi or God Haruhi, she was the type to make a scene if she didn't get what she wanted.

"Well!" Haruhi demanded, grabbing my shoulder. Meanwhile, Yuki looked mortified, Tsuruya was tense and leaning in to hear what was about to happen and Mikuru was slowly sliding back from the rest of us, looking ready to bolt at any moment.

"What do you think of me!" The girl, still in her uniform ordered, squeezing my shoulder, making me certain that I heard something pop.

"H-Haruhi… Ouch! I-I can't return your… feelings…" I groaned, finally pulling myself out of her viselike grip, partially because her hand slackened slightly. "Phew… I'm sorry, Haruhi. It's just…"

"It's Nagato, isn't it?" She asked quietly with a scowl, crossing her arms and snorting. I nodded weakly. She snorted again and then said, "Fine! I understand! Just know, Yuki, that if you hurt him, it's the DEATH PENALTY!" She snapped. "I have to go home to finish my homework!" She muttered darkly, standing up and throwing a few bills on the table to pay for her food before storming out.

I looked around the table from one girl to the next, all of whom were wearing looks of shock on their faces. What were they so surprised about? They knew that I liked Yuki-chan, right? They all knew she and I were going out! Tsuruya even made fun of me for the movie that we went to!

"What! Do I have a spot on my face!"

"W-well, no… Nyoron… It's just… I didn't expect you to reject her so easily…" Tsuruya said, half smirking.

"What the hell do you mean! I'm already dating Yuki-chan! I couldn't go out with Haruhi, too!"

Yuki looked at me, now, tears flooding those amber colored eyes of hers. They were positively radiant when they were sparkling in the light like that. After a moment, she threw her arms around me. Did she think I was going to just forget about her, too! What kind of person do these girls take me for?

"Hey, Yuki… Would you like to come to my house tonight? I've been to your place a few times, but you've never been to my house."

"Well, alright… You two lovebirds h-have fun… Don't do anything I wouldn't do…" Tsuruya said, grabbing Mikuru's hand and pulling her along after paying their bit of the bill. I also took some money out of my pocket and put it on the table, then took Yuki's hand and led her out.

Even though it was staying light out later, by the time we were halfway home, it was already dark. I had never been scared of walking in the dark before, but after that day, perhaps I'll have to amend that worry. In the next moment, in the middle of my sentence, I felt something hard hit me in the head from behind and I crashed to the ground. Groaning, I looked up and saw a blurry shape grab Yuki and start talking to her… Even though I couldn't see him perfectly, I could hear the excitement and mania in his voice.

"Yu-tan!" He said eagerly, holding her against the wall, leaning in and smelling her neck deeply. I heard her moan in discomfort. Trying desperately to stand up, I squirmed on the ground, but found that my head hurt too much to move more than a few inches.

"Yu-tan! Your parents, the police, the doctors! They all tried to keep me from you! But you knew! And I knew! W-we knew that we were in love and nothing could keep us apart! I can see in my absence, you strayed, but I forgive you! I'll forgive you for anything, Yu-tan!" He said, kissing her. It disgusted me to see a grown man acting like this. Finally, he started pushing her into an alley, and I heard a scream from Yuki-chan. That was what finally motivated me to action. Forgetting my headache, I grabbed the steel bar he had dropped on the ground and ran at him with it, hitting him across the back. He roared in pain and grabbed a knife from his belt and slashed at me with it. He didn't hit any major arteries, but he cut open the right side of my face, gouging out my eye. Yuki shrieked in terror as blood splattered everywhere and I almost fainted again.

The man attacked me with the knife again, but I grabbed his wrist, slicing my palm open accidentally and punched him… Yeah, I watch way too many action movies… I managed to make him drop the knife but he had a gun… And a big one, too. He shot me point blank in the shoulder. He then grabbed the knife and slashed wildly at my face, but got my throat instead. It was short and bitter. I couldn't breathe. Nothing seemed to be working anymore. I couldn't scream for help, but ironically, I could hear everything that was happening. That foul man watched with an evil smirk as I collapsed and he sneered at me, and spoke to Yuki again.

"Yu-tan, that boy might be able to be saved. I have a phone right here…" He said, sounding half desperate. "If you promise to go with me quietly… I-I'll call the hospital for him…"

For a moment, I prayed Yuki would refuse and run instead. Then at least she'd be safe, even if I would still die. I don't really know what spurred me to sacrifice myself like that for Yuki-chan, but I knew that I had to. I would never forgive myself if I didn't.

"I-I-I understand! I-I'll d-d-do what… ever you t-t-tell me… S-so please… D-don't let him die…" She sobbed, falling to her knees. I couldn't believe she was begging for my life like this. It hurt to see her so backed into a corner.

"I understand, Yu-tan…" He said, kissing her on the lips. I could tell she didn't like it, but she didn't dare resist. He started dialing. But to do that, he had to drop his weapons. That was my chance… My last chance. I grabbed the gun with the last of my strength. It was heavy, and I could barely lift it. It couldn't possibly have been legal. It went off with a resounding BANG, and the man roared in pain as the bullet struck true, hitting him point blank in the back of the head, and he fell over, dead. At this, Yuki gave a yelp of despair and ran over to me…

"W-w-why, Kyon-kun! Why d-did you do that! Th-that was stupid! You could've run! You could have been alright!"

I tried to reach out to touch her face for what I was sure would be the last time. My arm was shattered, though, so I used my other hand.

"Y…uki…chan…" I gasped. "I… just want… one… last k…iss…"

"No! Don't say that! NO! You can't die! I won't let you! We just started going out! I can't let you leave me! Please don't leave me alone!"

"P…lease… Just… k…iss me…" I asked. Finally, tears streaming down her cheeks, she leaned over, and we kissed again, just as I breathed my last breath. It was over, I knew it. The last thing I heard was her scream, and I saw a flashing blue light. Was that the gateway to the afterlife? How cliché.

"_Hello, again, Kyon…" Came a voice out of the mist. It was the old Nagato, although I suppose I could just call her Nagato, as I call my Yuki, Yuki-chan._

"_Nagato? Am I… In Heaven?"_

"_No… This is not what you humans consider to be 'heaven'."_

"_Then… I died and went to hell?"_

"_No. You have neither gone above nor below."_

"_Stop speaking in riddles, Nagato. Is this just the universal afterlife? Some collective consciousness that exists of all souls of the departed?"_

"_I apologize… I suppose I should say that you are not above or below… because you have not died."_

"_What do you mean, I haven't died? I was shot, beaten, stabbed, and had my throat cut. Of course I'm dead! Only you could survive that shit!" I shouted, shaking Nagato, who neither stopped me nor said anything._

"_You say that in the belief that 'magic' as it is called by humans does not exist in the world in which you now live. However, that is not the case. I only gave you the option of 'stay' or 'go back'. I didn't tell you any of the factors that may or may not have been associated with either choice. I was anomalous, and there was not enough time or correct data to make the program complete. Yuki Nagato, or Yuki-chan, discovered, via the trauma of watching you die, that she still possessed a limited level of data manipulation ability, the singular option to alter probability for or against the subject. She managed to change 'fate' just enough that your throat wasn't entirely cut open. However, your Carotid Artery was cut badly, and there was still the chance that you would die. However, quick thinking on Yuki's part, and the fast arrival of the ambulance saved your life. You have many injuries. Your stomach has needed 25 stitches, your neck required 18, your skull was cracked and you suffered a major concussion that may result in some memory loss, though with 'luck' it may not. Your right arm was shattered up to the elbow, though they somehow managed to piece it together, set them, and hold everything in place. Your right eye is ruined, and cannot be repaired with any modern technology. You lost approximately 4.5 liters of blood, and are currently comatose, and on a breathing apparatus being fed and replenished via intravenous drip. You have been this way for two weeks. Do you wish to see your surroundings?"_

"_Y-yes…"_

_ A screen appeared in front of me, and I saw my family, Haruhi, Itsuki, Yuki, Tsuruya, Ryoko Asakura, Asahina, and some distant relatives sitting around my bed. Yuki looked like she had been crying, and Asakura was trying to comfort her, though I couldn't hear what they were saying. Then, it went out._

"_H-hey!"_

"_That is all I can show for now. Again, you have options. You can return to that world with your friends and family. You may not remember them, and may be in no condition to ever use that right arm again. However, you will be alive. You can also choose to pass on, now. You've given me more than I could have ever hoped to have, Kyon…" Nagato said, holding her hands out and taking mine in them, and I was sure that I saw a small, awkward smile on the introverted alien's face. "And it was frankly more than I feel I deserved. If you wish to find peace in the afterlife, now, I won't hold it against you. You're already more of a hero than I've ever been."_

"_What? Me?" I asked, laughing stupidly. "You must be joking… You've done way more for us than…"_

"_The measure of a hero is not what they do, but how they use what they have. The things I did were all childsplay for me. You on the other hand, were willing to die for that girl, for me, and came very close to doing so against a stronger, insane opponent. That's what a hero truly is. See, in the time that I've lived in your mind, I've learned from and experienced many things. My knowledge of the world is no longer purely scholarly. Before, I would look, but I wouldn't see. Now, though, with your help, my eyes have been opened, and the world is a beautiful place filled with beautiful people. And I wish to keep experiencing it through your eyes… But the decision must be yours, Kyon…"_

"_Nagato…" I said faintly. I could barely comprehend what she was saying. How could this be the same little alien who sat in the corner and read books while the world passed her by? She hadn't just changed. She had transformed! Metamorphosed!_

"_I do want to go back… I can't leave them behind for a small thing like death…"_

"_Now that's bravery, Kyon…" Nagato said, kissing me on the cheek. "You and I will never meet again like this, but do not feel bad, because I am never far away. You need only think of the old world while you sleep, and I'll be there. Now wake up!" She said, poking me, causing painful electricity to course through my body, _

And suddenly, my eyes shot open and I flew up in bed, trying to talk, but finding that there was something over my mouth.

"Kyon-kun!" Yuki cried, trying her hardest to push me back down. "It's alright, Kyon-kun! I promise! P-please calm down! You'll h-hurt yourself!" She pleaded. I looked around and saw everyone sitting around me. Suddenly, I had an idea. I raised an eyebrow at Yuki, and said, "Who are you?"

She gasped, and fell back, looking like she was about to cry again, that adorably cute face when her lip was quivering, and her eyes sparkling with tears. I couldn't keep it up, though. "Just kidding, Yuki-chan… It's good to see you again…" I laughed. Asakura scowled at me and flipped me off, but then giggled, somewhat ruining the effect, and the others all seemed to see the humor in it as well… even little Yuki.

"John! You were amazing! All the local newspapers have done stories on you! You were front page news! They're calling you a 'homegrown hero'! Haruhi raved, shoving the Tokyo Times in my face. I took it with my good arm and started reading.

Last night, April 28th, Kyosuke Kanzaki (16) was hospitalized with multiple lacerations, a bullet wound and a skull fracture defending his girlfriend, Yuki Nagato (16) from a man who has apparently been stalking her for years. Kanzaki is now comatose and on a breathing apparatus, but word has spread of his fight which left the stalker dead and Kanzaki in critical condition. Miraculously, Nagato suffered no injuries, but was severely shaken upon our arrival to the scene. When asked to comment, she declined, instead opting to follow Kanzaki into the ambulance.

Cont Sect 3A

"Wow… I think they may have gone a bit overboard…" I replied, putting the paper aside, and putting my hand up to my right eye. It was just like Nagato said, completely ruined. Oh well. As long as Yuki-chan is safe, I don't really mind a few battle scars.

"Kyon-kun… W-why didn't you run! You could've saved yourself!" Yuki asked, clutching me tightly.

"Why indeed?" I laughed. "I guess I was risking my life either way. If I ran, Asakura would definitely have killed me. If I stayed, there was still a chance that I might survive…"

"Damn straight I would've…" Asakura said sternly… "But… I'm glad that you and Yuki are together. I see I can trust you, now, Kyon…"

The rest of high school passed without incident for us, and finally, the end of high school came. Yuki-chan, being the genius that she was, was valedictorian, and a more changed person she could not have been. She smiled brightly, and confidently as she walked up to give her speech. Fortunately, I was number 30 in the class, so I didn't have to give a speech. Yuki's was nice, though. She mentioned the value of friends and how a single act of kindness no matter how small can make all the difference, so on and so forth. The words didn't really matter to me. The point was that she was saying them so clearly and confidently, and I knew that she meant them. It was hard to believe that this was the girl who had been considering suicide in first year.

After graduation, I stayed in Tokyo and went to college there, and Yuki went to a university far to the south of Japan. We kept in contact, and when we got back together afterwards, it was like nothing had changed. We instantly connected again. Three years later, we got married… And the rest, as they say, is history.

**The End**

A/N: Sorry! I know it's short, but honestly, I got everything I wanted in here… I was considering doing a lemon, but it just didn't seem to fit with the story… Do you think I was right in my decision? Reviews would be highly appreciated.


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